Nursing Course Descriptions

NURS-191. UNIVERSITY SEMINAR I – NURSING/PRE-NURSING. 1:2:1

University Seminar is a two-semester, General Education course sequence designed to provide students with the essentials for a smooth transition to college life and academic success. Academic skills will be developed. These skills include critical reading, thinking, listening, writing, speaking, and using the library, the Internet and word processing. Values clarification, coping with peer pressures and the impact of a healthy lifestyle will be addressed. Opportunities will be provided for self-evaluation and growth in basic learning strategies as well as personal and career goals. Knowing the history of the University, feeling connected to the institution and sharing a common educational experience with other freshmen are important goals of this course.General Education Requirement in Nursing orients students to the University environment and support systems. Facilitates campus community involvement of students by requiring their attendance at special academic and cultural events on campus. Emphasizes necessary tools and strategies for academic success. Techniques are used with students to assist them to assess learning styles, personality traits and motivation strategies.

Credit, one hour.

NURS-192. UNIVERSITY SEMINAR II – NURSING/PRE-NURSING. 1:1:1

University Seminar is a two-semester, General Education course sequence designed to provide students with the essentials for a smooth transition to college life and academic success. Academic skills will be developed. These skills include critical reading, thinking, listening, writing, speaking, and using the library, the Internet and word processing. Values clarification, coping with peer pressures and the impact of a healthy lifestyle will be addressed. Opportunities will be provided for self-evaluation and growth in basic learning strategies as well as personal and career goals. Knowing the history of the University, feeling connected to the institution and sharing a common educational experience with other freshmen are important goals of this course.General Education Requirements’ sequel to University Seminar I begins to focus students toward the academic skills necessary for success in the nursing program and discipline.

Credit, one hour.

NURS-204. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY IN NURSING. 2:2:0

This course introduces the student to the pathophysiologic disruptions in the normal body functioning in individuals across the lifespan; assessment and analysis of objective and subjective manifestations of common health problems resulting from environmental, genetic and stress-related maladaptations are analyzed. Diagnostic assessments are discussed for each disease process. Alternative medical and pharmacological management is briefly discussed for selected disease processes, and related nursing implications are explored.

Prerequisites: BIOL 207, BIOL 208, CHEM 107.

Credit, two hours.

NURS-292. FOUNDATIONS OF NURSING. 1:1:0

This is an online course. Students taking this course will be assigned specific websites that must be used in order to be successful. The course introduces students to medical terminology, drug dosage calculations and basic safety practices in nursing. This is a nursing support course that is a prerequisite for entry into the nursing major.

Prerequisites: BIOL 207, BIOL 208, CHEM 107

Co-requisites: NURS 204, NURS 292, BIOL 221.

Credit, one hour.

NURS-300. GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT ACROSS LIFE SPAN. 2:2:0

This online course is designed to assist the student in understanding concepts associated with normal growth and development across the lifespan (conception to late adulthood). Application of this knowledge will assist the student to provide appropriate interventions for clients and their significant others. Students will be introduced to major theories of human development across the lifespan. Emphasis will be placed on the influences of the psychological, sociological, and cultural dimensions of human functioning and health promotion across the lifespan.

Prerequisites: PSYC 201

Credit two hours

NURS-307. INTRODUCTION TO NURSING PRACTICE. 5:3:6

This course focuses on fundamental nursing interventions and assisting individual clients to fulfill basic human needs. Adaptation related to meeting physiological, safety and security needs are emphasized. Students begin to apply principles of the nursing process when planning care for individual clients in long-term care structured settings. Opportunities to practice in the roles of caregiver, communicator, problem-solver and a group member of the health care team are provided.

Prerequisites: Completion of all General Education and Support courses with a letter grade of “C” or better in all courses; formal admission to the Nursing major, (success on the Nursing Entrance Exam, G.P.A. of 2.8 or higher).

Co-requisites: NURS 308, NURS 309.

Credit, five hours.

NURS-308. HEALTH ASSESSMENT. 4:3:3

The course is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to collect data related to individual health using a multi-dimensional approach. Students are introduced to assessment devices and procedures used to collect data related to human body structure and functioning using a systems approach. Psychologic, social and cultural aspects of assessment are also introduced to assist students to analyze environmental influences on human structure and function. Assessment of normal growth and development is also emphasized.

Prerequisites: Completion of all General Education and Support courses with a letter grade of “C” or better in all courses; formal admission to the Nursing major, (success on the Nursing Entrance Exam, minimum G.P.A. of 2.8 or higher).

Co-requisites: NURS 307, NURS 309.

Credit, four hours.

NURS-309. PSYCHIATRIC/MENTAL HEALTH NURSING. 5:3:6

The course provides students with didactic and clinical learning experiences utilizing the nursing process as a means of providing health care to individuals, families and groups experiencing maladaptative alterations in mental health. Student development in the following nursing roles is emphasized: communicator in the therapeutic nurse-client relationship, advocate of client’s rights and caregiver. The course prepares students to communicate professionally in the health care environment. It exposes students to maladaptive behaviors as they relate to safe, competent nursing skills. A holistic approach, which combines medical nursing and mental health nursing, will produce a nurse who is better prepared for their professional role.

Prerequisites: Completion of all General Education and Support courses with a letter grade of “C” or better in all courses; formal admission to the Nursing major, (success on the Nursing Entrance Exam, minimum G.P.A. of 2.8 or higher).

Co-requisites: NURS 307, NURS 308.

Credit, five hours.

NURS-310. INTRODUCTION TO NURSING RESEARCH. 3:3:0

An introductory course of the fundamentals and principles of the research process and their application in nursing. Emphasis is placed on developing proficiency in critiquing and evaluating nursing research findings as they relate to the practice of nursing.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of NURS 307, NURS 308, NURS 309.

Co-requisites: NURS 311, NURS 312.

Credit, three hours.

NURS-311. NURSING CARE OF THE CHILD AND FAMILY. 5:3:6

Students develop competencies and skills to manage health care of children experiencing potential and actual problems in fulfilling human needs during the process of achieving biopsychosocial adaptation, and anticipatory guidance as part of health promotion on the individual as well as community levels. Roles of the professional nurse, including communication, ethics and cultural competency, in promoting health and adaptation for the child within the context of the family are emphasized in clinical and theoretical components of the course.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of NURS 307, NURS 308, NURS 309.

Co-requisites: NURS 310, NURS 312.

Credit, five hours.

NURS-312. HEALTH PROMOTION, MAINTENANCE AND RESTORATION. 5:3:6

The course provides students with both didactic and clinical learning experiences designed to provide nursing care to adult patients/clients who are experiencing acute and chronic medical-surgical health problems in clinical and community health settings. Students utilize the nursing process to provide care to individuals. The course also focuses on individual and family responses to illness experience. Emphasis is placed on the multiple roles of nurses: teacher, care giver, critical thinker and problem-solver.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of NURS 307, NURS 308, NURS 309.

Co-requisites: NURS 310, NURS 311.

Credit, six hours.

NURS-407. HEALTH PROMOTION, MAINTENANCE AND RESTORATION II. 5:3:6

The course utilizes the nursing process in the study of individuals with simple, adaptive problems resulting from interference with basic human needs. The theoretical and clinical components are designed to assist the student to determine priority of client needs and to recognize client responses to illness. The course provides for development of critical thinking skills and strategies of health promotion, maintenance and restoration across the life span.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of NURS 310, NURS 311, NURS 312.

Co-requisites: NURS 408, NURS 409.

Credit, five hours.

NURS-408. MATERNAL NEWBORN NURSING. 5:3:6

This course provides didactic and clinical learning experiences designed to assist students to apply the nursing process in providing care to the childbearing family during antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum periods in a variety of settings. Health maladaptations as they relate to growth and development are examined. The nurses’ role in health promotion, disease prevention to fulfill human needs in childbearing and childrearing families is emphasized. Prerequisites: Successful completion of NURS 310, NURS 311, NURS 312.

Co-requisites: NURS 407, NURS 409.

Credit, five hours.

NURS-409. COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING. 5:3:6

The course provides didactic and clinical learning experiences for students in selected principles of community health, public and family health nursing. Students conduct in-depth community and family health assessments employing basic epidemiological principles and data collection strategies. The nursing process is utilized by students engaging in health promotion and maintenance strategies in a variety of community health settings.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of NURS 310, NURS 311, NURS 312.

Co-requisites: NURS 407, NURS 408.

Credit, five hours.

NURS-410. SPECIAL TOPICS IN NURSING. 3:3:0

A synthesis course that provides students with repeated opportunities to critically analyze and apply knowledge and skills learned earlier in the program, in providing care to individuals, families and groups experiencing complex problems across the life span. Test-taking and psychometric principles and skills are emphasized.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of NURS 407, NURS 408, NURS 409.

Co-requisites: NURS 411, NURS 412.

Credit, three hours.

NURS-411. ISSUES AND LEADERSHIP IN NURSING. 3:3:0

An exploration of leadership and management theories and principles and their application to the nursing practice in the provision of health care is presented. Student development in the roles of problem solver, change agent and leader are emphasized.

The course focuses on application of the nursing process in the study of individuals with complex adaptation problems. The cultural, ethical, psychosocial and legal aspects of these complex health problems as they affect individuals and their families, the health team and society are emphasized. The course allows the student to examine the historical aspects of nursing as related to the patients’ complex needs. Clinical, observational and/or participatory experiences with the client are provided in a variety of settings.